Antidpressant use on the rise in military

A recent report from the U.S. Army's fifth Mental Health Advisory Team revealed that many soldiers are turning to antidepressant drugs to help them cope through wartime deployments.

Time magazine recently covered this story, stating that this recent survey of troops led to the discovery that 17 percent of combat troops stationed in Afghanistan and 12 percent of those stationed in Iraq are taking prescription drugs to help deal with issues related to nerves, depression, and sleep deprivation.

According to Military.com, the Army estimates that authorized drug use splits about evenly into two groups: troops taking antidepressants -- such as Prozac and Zoloft -- and those taking prescription sleeping pills. The percentage soldiers on antidepressants is an equal representation of the percentage of the general civilian population who also use these drugs, says the report.